Phone a friend: Instagram will soon let you live stream with a guest

Bring a buddy into your broadcasts

Nearly a year after launching its own live streaming feature, Instagram is now adding the ability to tag in a friend to join your latest 'casts.

Currently in testing for a select number of users, Instagram's new feature lets users select anyone currently watching their stream and invite them into the action.

Once invited, the screen splits in half to accommodate both streamers, with the usual "likes" and commenting functionality left intact.

Depending on the host, bringing on a friend could have many uses, such as curbing stage fright, adding in audience participation, or simply making it easier to drop special guests into your streams.

Instastream

During the show, guests can choose to sign off whenever they choose and the original broadcaster can then opt to post their latest stream to Instagram Stories, save it to their phone or delete it from the app entirely.

It's unsurprising that Instagram is adding a way to incorporate a friend into live streaming, as parent company Facebook announced plans for a similar feature back in May.

While co-streaming is still in development, an Instagram representative tells TechRadar that the feature can be expected to roll out globally within the coming months.